Servants of the Damned
by Haven Artemis Roth
Summary: Where did Kikyo get her soul collectors from? Her head turned to look up at her soul collectors,taking in their appearance and acknowledging their presence for the first time. “Servants of the Damned,” she paused for a moment, “how appropriate considering


**Servants of the Damned **

**Summary: Have you ever wondered where Kikyo got her soul collectors from? Takes off after Kagome tries to call back her soul and Kikyo falls off a cliff.**

**Inspired by the anime Bleach and the movie Pirates of the Caribbean Dead Man's Chest**

The last thing Kikyo saw before falling to what she surely believed to be her second death, was Inu Yasha's guilty expression for letting her slip out of his grasp. Her expression reflected scorn and hatred at the dog demon who had been the cause of her death twice now. To her surprise she landed at the bottom of a waterfall but it really didn't seem to make much of a difference to her. She could already feel herself slipping away.

"Kikyo," a voice called.

She looked up but saw no one.

"Kikyo, do you fear death?" (_LOL, I couldn't resist when I just wrote a Pirates of the Caribbean fic yesterday_)

Still, she saw no one but answered nonetheless, "I do not fear death." Her voice was void of all emotion at that moment.

Someone chuckled before a young teenage girl appeared wearing black robes and holding a sickle in her hand. "No, I didn't suppose you would." She pulled the dead priestess ashore.

Kikyo leaned against a tree, staring at the girl, "You are not the one I saw last time."

The girl grinned as if she thought it was funny. "Not many people get to say that but you know a death god cannot be everywhere at once. Even we do not possess that amount of power. Though I do believe it would make one rather dizzy if we could do that."

She didn't share nor understand this girl's optimism, "Aren't you going to take me to the other world?"

The death goddess sighed, sitting beside the walking bag of dirt. "Hm," she turned to stare at her as if searching for something, "maybe." She turned away. Though many people did die it was rare to come across the few who had been brought back. Her gaze went back to he priestess. Still, she couldn't drag this on forever. "I'm here to give you a choice Kikyo. Will you return to which you were before this or do you want to stay?"

_Stay?_ She could stay? One who had already lived their time and had been forced to return by chance could stay? What purpose could her staying possibly have?

After so many years of knowing so many people (though they were all dead) she didn't need to be psychic to know what someone was thinking. "You know what will happen if you return but if you stay you have until death to find another reason to be."

_A reason to be? _That's right. Before she had been betrayed she had wanted to choose how she lived her life instead of being forced to protect the Sacred Jewel. But she was already dead now. Did it really matter? She supposed she could take her revenge on Inu Yasha but then what would she do after?

"Of course if you chose to stay you have basically delayed choosing any choice since you can still die afterwards," she pointed out.

"Then I chose to stay."

"Then you must sign a contract for your soul collectors." The teen snapped her fingers and a paper appeared with an ink quill.

"Soul collectors?"

She nodded, "They are creatures that are white as specters and serve as servants of the damned such as you. Their purpose is to bring you souls that shall sustain your body as long as you wish to live."

The priestess sighed it before the contract and quill disappeared again.

The death goddess stood up and sighed. "Kikyo, I hereby sentence you to being the keeper of balance between good and evil in this area." She paused for a moment, "It's really not as remotely hard as it sounds so don't worry so much about it. This job is as much trouble as watering a garden." Her expression then was somewhat saddened. "I fear the anger and lust for revenge that has brought you back will not allow you to forgive Inu Yasha even after you find out the truth."

"What truth?" Kikyo frowned, knowing that death gods never lied.

The girl's blue eyes were sympathetic as she whispered, "You cannot have Inu Yasha's heart and I beg you not to try to reclaim it." After this she simply disappeared without a trace, leaving the priestess alone with the soul collectors as her only company now.

She was disgusted and repulsed at the idea of her ever wanting Inu Yasha's heart. What was this truth the death god had spoken of? Would it really change her outlook on him? "No, what he did was unforgivable." Her head turned to look up at her soul collectors, taking in their appearance and acknowledging their presence for the first time. "Servants of the Damned," she paused for a moment, "how appropriate considering my road ahead."

**Well it didn't turn out as good as I wanted it to but all things considering I think I did a pretty good job. Review please**


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